Worlds Apart
by StaceL
Summary: Sovay's life would have been easy if it not had been for a certain red-haired Rose back when they were little. The future's different now, but with another possible blood war on the rise, can she stay away from her pureblood destiny forever?
1. The Train Ride In

"It's strange how some of the most important people in your life don't even know the real you. You don't even know the real you. And it takes a person you know nothing about to show you who you could be."

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I walked out onto the platform; Apollo's cage in my right hand, my rolling trunk in my left, and Roy by my side. My nervousness died out completely as I stared at the scarlet train before me. The Hogwarts Express was already filled with people, so I quickly said goodbye to my family, kissed my mother on the cheek, and boarded the train.

It took awhile, but we found a compartment to sit in. The only person that was sitting there was Talia Singh, a Gryffindor. She was a first year just like Roy and I.

"Hi! I'm Sovay Tinsley!" I said, holding out my hand. My parents had taught me plenty of manners. That's the downside to being a Tinsley. Appearance is everything. If my parents even caught me with a hair out of place I would be grounded in a blink of an eye.

Talia looked up nervously. She was olive-skinned and shy. "Oh, hi," she said quietly, "I'm Talia." She glanced at my hand and didn't know what to do, so I put my arm down, giving up, and sat across from her.

"This here's Leroy. He's a Davenport." I said importantly, trying to create as big, fake, and sarcastic deal about it, and motioned toward Roy.

"It's Roy." he said, slightly annoyed. I smirked. I new he hated being called Leroy, but that's what made it fun to use. He came from the same kind of background as me. Pureblood and rich. Our fathers were old friends and that's how we became friends. As children we would play quidditch outside together and run around in the gardens while my mother was inside, too busy entertaining her guests. Roy sat down next to me and I kicked my legs up so my feet sat on the windowsill.

Talia nodded absently and turned back towards the window.

"So Sovay, Slytherin, right?" he said and winked. We had been planning our sorting since we were little and we would both came to the conclusion we'd be sorted into Slytherin like our family's wanted. With age, my opinions changed, although I'd never tell Roy that.

"I don't know, maybe I'll break the traditon." I teased, however, in my mind I was dead serious. It was a lone time ago when my viewpoint changed. I was maybe about seven.

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I was at the Quidditch Supply Store with my mother and aunt. We were buying my very first adult-sized broom. I was still very tiny, but fastly outgrowing beginner brooms. I loved to play Quidditch, even from an early age.

I remember this day like it was yesterday. It's the day that changed my life, although not much happened. Her striking red hair is still engraved in my memory.

I was walking through the aisles as Mum was paying at the counter. I was towards the back when I noticed a girl, about the same age as me, was arguing with a dark haired boy wearing glasses. I stayed back and watched, attempting to stay hidden.

"No, Al, the Firebolt 1001 is nothing compared to the Starstriker!" redhead said.

"Oh, really? I would take you on any day on that thing!" said the boy.

I decided to let myself be known. I wasn't much of the mysterious lurker type, anyways. I walked out into the open and towards the two. "The Starstriker? That's the new model, isn't it?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Redhead looked my way, clearly confused, not knowing someone was listening to them. I was sure the whole store could hear the two, though. "Huh? Oh yeah," she said, "came out last week; you are?"

"Sovay." I introduced myself, "Sovay Tinsley."

"Tinsley... you're a Tinsley? Your father works for the Ministry, right?" she asked, sounding polite enough, keeping her voice fairly level.

"Yeah, Magical Law Enforcement." I answered.

She nodded. "I'm Rose Weasley and this," she pointed to her acquaintance, "is my cousin Albus."

Albus waved slightly, not knowing what to say. He seemed to be quite the shy type, but I didn't put that against him. "Hi," he nearly whispered.

I smiled. These were relatives of Harry Potter. They weren't as horrible as my father always complained they were and they were nice enough. "What are you here for?" I replied.

"A new broom for my mum. She's the seeker for the Holy Harpies, you know." Albus said matter-of-factly, his quietness slowly fading away with every minute as he got a bit more comfortable with the situation.

I didn't get a chance to reply before I heard my mum calling my name sternly behind me, "Sovay Marie Tinsley, get over here now."

I stayed silent. I knew she wouldn't approve of me talking to the son and niece of Voldemort's worst nightmare. I walked toward my mum and glanced back at the two apologetically. We made our way from the store and away from Rose and Albus. That would be the last time I'd see them for a while.

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Roy laughed, clearly buying my fake sarcasim, "Oh, really now?"

I shrugged.

We chatted about various things the rest of the ride to Hogwarts; Quidditch, Bertie Botts every flavor beans, even his older sister, Dominique, who was at the time a fifth year Slytherin Prefect.

I barely even noticed Talia drift off to sleep in the corner.


	2. The Beginning of the End

The train came to a stop, so I jumped up and grabbed my things. Talia was still sleeping so I tapped her shoulder and she slowly regained consiousness.

"Ready?" Roy said, holding the door open for me.

"Always." I replied with an excited smile. I waved goodbye to Talia and we made our way out of the train. Once out in the nice, chilly September night air, we followed the huge man with the graying beard to the boats. Roy and I had learned about this special trip for first years by listening to Roy's sister gossip.

The only available boat was filled with four other people: Bryce, Ross, Scorpius, and Valerie.

I sat down next to Bryce and across from Roy, for those were the only seats available. Bryce had always been interested in me and being only eleven was no exception. "And who might you be?" he asked.

"Don't even waste your breath on that one, Bryce." Valerie said snootily and laughed, "She obviously doesn't have potential."

"Shh... I want to here what blue eyes over here has to say." he said, waving Valerie off, "What house are you hoping to be in?"

I could tell I wasn't going to get along with this guy already, so I let my annoyance get the better of me, "It's Sovay and-" I began, but Roy cut in.

"We're both aiming for Slytherin." he said proudly.

"Oh yeah? And who are you to think you have any chance at all to get in?" Bryce said, directing the question at Roy, and rolled his eyes.

"Roy Davenport," he said simply, ignoring the rudeness. Roy was good with that, but I, on the other hand, was not.

I glared at Bryce and stated, "Why couldn't he? I don't see you with anything special to offer."

Bryce looked at me and raised his eyebrows. He seemed interested to find I wasn't intimidated by him. "Well, I didn't know our little friend here was a Davenport. What are you?" he asked me.

"Tinsley and I wouldn't be caught dead with you." I replied cooly, not about to give up.

"I can make that happen, you know, the _dead _part, so I'd stay on my good side if I were you."

I rolled my eyes when Scorpius, who was sitting at the end of the boat, spoke up. "Bryce, just leave her alone." he said, although his heart didn't seem to be in it for he looked like he had something else on his mind.

"Well look who has a little crush on blue eyes," Bryce said and grinned, "Good choice, she's a fiesty one."

Scorpius was going to speak when Roy jumped across the boat and swung a fist at Bryce, clearly angry at them for talking about Sovay as if she wasn't even there. "You need to leave her alone, now."

Ross, one of Bryce's big minions, was quickly on Bryce's defence. He had pinned Roy on the ground in a matter of seconds. "And to think I was going to give you a chance with us..." Bryce said, shaking his head and giving a dirty look down at Roy, whereas Roy just glared back at him from his struggling position on the boat floor, "Almost thought you were alright."

Since everyone was standing, the opposing parties glaring at eachother in a deadly silence, nobody had noticed the boat had stopped. The group of four took off before any other first years could notice something was wrong.

I kneeled down next to Roy. "You ok?" I asked with pure concern in my voice and when he nodded, I helped him up, "Don't listen to those jerks, ok?" I gave him a quick hug and we followed the group of first years up into the castle.

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The Great Hall was huge and filled with people at various tables who all had their eyes fixed on us as we entered. It was more amazing than any story my parents had told me about it. The night sky above twinkled with stars and the candles below them made the whole room glow. I had been so transfixed that I didn't notice the sorting hat sing it's song. Sighing and disappointed, I made sure to stay close to Roy.

"Astaire, Valerie!" the old professor Mcgonagall called out. She had been at Hogwarts long before I was born and the blood wars obviously had not stopped her from continuing her carrer. She was headmaster now.

It was no surprise that Valerie and Ross had been sorted into Slytherin.

Roy's name was called next. I almost cried out when I felt Roy's hand leave my grasp, but I quickly got a handle on myself. Of course he couldn't stay with me until I got sorted when he himself also needed to be sorted. I gave him a supportive smile and he vanished, only to reappear on the stool above the remaining unsorted first years."

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled in the same voice it had for Valerie and Ross.

The Slytherin table erupted with applause as the first three children had been sorted into their very own house. I looked down at the ground, not bothering to watch Roy walk to his table, and I counted down from one hundred in my head, trying to get over the pre-sorting nerves.

Bryce soon joined the other three along with Scorpious not far after. However, Scorpius didn't look happy. I followed his gaze to a girl in the mess of first years. She had red hair; the same red hair I'd remembered for years. The red hair that made me question everything about my destined lifestyle... Rose. I shrugged it off.

"Potter, Albus." Mcgonagall called. This caught my attention and I whipped my head up. I hadn't seen Albus in four years. I watched and the hat yelled Gryffindor after a few minutes of contemplation. I didn't know what could have taken so long. He was a Potter, so clearly he belonged in Gryffindor.

It wasn't long before my name was called and I still had no idea what I wanted to be sorted into. Did I want to follow my families wishes, or abandon them. I would leave Roy alone and I knew nothing about the other houses. I sighed, the clashing thoughts still running through my mind, and made my way to the dreaded stool.

I didn't bother looking around, so I choose a spot at the end of the hall, where one of the first candles before the doors floated, and waited until the hat was dropped on me. It was, like on all the others, oversized. I was taken aback when the hat started speaking in my mind and I jumped, only to hear a bit of laughter coming from who I could only guess was Bryce.

_Hmmm...You're one of the tougher ones, _the hat said in my head. _You don't want to disobey your family, yet you want to be different._

I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to hear the answer that was sure to come in any moment, only to be more shocked when the sorting hat began talking again.

_Curious..., _it said as it began to speak again, _You only want to be in a certain house to keep your friend company? Loyal, I see... and nervous about not fitting in? While I hardly believe that you wouldn't, I believe I've found the house that could make you feel most at home._

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat yelled.

I was shocked, yet oddly pleased. None the less, I popped up from the stool and scurried off the platform.

I was halfway to the Hufflepuff table when I glanced back at the Slytherin table. Roy was frozen and starting right at me. His gaze was so direct, confused, and even... hurt... which made me feel like crying, but I took a ragged breath and finished the walk to my table.

I got plenty of warming congratulations and shocked expressions that I would have been sorted into such a house, but I decided to sit towards the end of the table, away from the madness and instead of eating, my head rested in my arms the entire time.


End file.
